Disconnecting-switch for high-potential circuits.



S. Q. HAYES. DISCCNNHCTINC SWITCH FOR HIGH POTENTIAL CIRCUITS.

APILIOATION FILED NOV. 8, 1909.

Patentd NOV. 15, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Yf ATT'CHNU S. Q. HAYES. DISGONNEGTING SWITCH FOR HIGH POTENTIAL CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1909.

Patented Nov. 15, IQIG.

3 SHEETSSHBET Z.

QYAQQQ WITNESSES:

ATTRNF.'

'UNITE STATES PATENT FFICE.

STEPHEN Q. HAYES, ]?l PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, -A SSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE .ELECTRIC ANI) MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DISCONNECTING-SWITCH FOR HIGH-POTENTIAL CIRCUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

Application fledNovember 8, 1909. Serial 110,526,821.

' To all 'whom it ma/y concern:

yBe it known that l, S'rnrnnN Q. HAYES, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Pittsburg. in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful lnnirovcmcnt in Disconnccting- Switches for High-Potential Circuits, of which the following is a specitication.

lVIy invention relates to very high voltage 1o distributingl systems. and it has for its. ob-

ject to provide a disconnecting switch which shall be relatively simple and inex. pensive in construction and adapted for very high voltage service.

1.5 Line insulators of the suspension type have been produced which are capable of withstanding such hiehfvoltage strains that voltages which were formerly considered iinpract-icable for commercial service are now extensively employed for long` distance transmission circuits.

One of the principal difficulties which is encountered in the use of very high voltages is that ot' providing,r suitable disconnecting switches which are capable of opening the circuits at the distrilmtingipoints. Oil circuit breakers are provided for initially interrupting the circuits in order that the electric arcs produced may bc quenched and, since these breakers are very expensive, it is particularly desirable to provide a disconnecting,` switch which shall be very simle and durable i'n construction and which shall. be located in the circuit near the t 'ans- ,mission line. lt is also desirable that the circuit position of the disconnecting switch, e. whether it is open or closed, shall be apparent to any one in the station where it.

is located, in order to minimize the possibility of a repair workman accidentally coming in contact with a live circuit conductor.

According to my present invention, I provide a switch, of the class indicatedl above, which is adapted for use with very high- Voltagc circuits and, at the same time, arcomplisliii-lg thc-aforesaid objective results. Figure 1 of the accompanying` drawing is a diagrammatic elevation of a generating and transforming station which is equipped with disconnecting switches constructed in accordanceI with myinvcntion. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan View of the matter.

shown inA Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings,the structure here shown comprises a turbine -or other prime mover l bv which a 2generator 2. is`

tor, three single phase transformers 2i, 2i

and B as shown in Fig. or one three phase transformer will be employed, the number of poles VJfor each discomlectin;r switch and the number of series transformers beingdetermined by the number of conductors of which the transmission circuits are com-v posed. The series transtormers and the c1r-.

cuit breakers form no part of my present invention and may be constructed in`any suitable manner.

The disconnecting switch 8 comprises stationary contact terminals t), movable contact terminals 10 which are suspended from the outer end of' arms 12 and are insulated therefrom by series of link connected insulators 13, forming a well known suspension l insulator. The contact terminals 10 are respectively connected to terminals 13 ot the circuit. breakers t3 by tlexilole conductors 1-1, and the arms 12 are connected by a cross bar .12 and are actuated by any suitable means, such as bell crank lcvcrsl and 1G, links 17a and an operating handle 18 to which one ot' the links 17 is connected. The handle lever is pivoted at 19 on a bracket 20 and is provided with a weight 21 at its outer end near the point of connection with the link 17u, the arrangement oi partsbeing such that a downward movement. of the handle closes the disconnecting switch, and an upward movement of the same opens thev switch. The stationary contact terminals 9 are connected to external circuit conductors Q1 which are anchored to the Awall 2() by means ot strain insulators QQ and extend through long` insulating bushings 19 which are mounted horizontally in the wall 2O ot' the power station. Asabo've indicated, the contact terminals 10 are etiectively insulated from their supports and are located directly above the contact terminals 9 so thaty when the arms 12 are actuated by the. handle -lever 18a, the two contact terminals come into engagement with each other or are separated from each other.

The switches 7 and 7b, respectively, make and break connection, between bus bars 23 posed between bus bars .tact terminals 27 are and the groups of transformers 3, a and 3l, and 3c, ,3d and Se, the switch 7a being interaiid 231. Each ot' the switchesis similar to the switch 8, the corresponding' stationary contact terminals 24: being mounted upon bushings that.. are 'supported b v' and extend horizontally through a partition 2G of the station and electrically connected to the circuit concluetors' as shovvn in Fig. s. The movable consupported, insulated and operated in substantially the same inanner as the terminals 10.

Very high-voltage disconnecting switches, as heretofore constructed, have been manually operated b v means of a hook at. the'end of a long pole and; consequently. could lnot readily be opened or closed iii groups. Moreover, the attendant, in'-manipulating these' switches, was in danger of injury, since the actuating pole alone was depended `upon for insulation.

Asicoiitra'sted witlisvvilches .of the class just referred to, mydisc `iiinecting switch is^'well` adapted for polypliase distributing circuits, a ysingle opening lever being` einployedfor concurrently operating anynuinber of switch arms, and all of the Voperating' i mechanism. parts being easily grounded. :The Operating mechanism 'also lends itself l readily to the manipulation of auxiliary switches (such as switch 29, 'Fig'. l) for governinga signal system o r switchboard indicator (not shown), as is usual Witlrrircuit breakers, to keep the station attendant informed asto the circuit position of each Adisconnecting switch.

It will be observedthat the construction ofthe disconnecting switches issuch that the most improved forms'of high-voltage insulators are adaptable thereto, l'iigh-tension v.bushings of the so-called condenser type and suspension l type line insulators, having a tplurality, of units, as shown iirtlie` drawings, beinggemployed.

The strain insulator Q2 and theouter end of thebushing 1,9 are preferably protected" from the Weatherby ineans of a shed 2S.

Itis evident thatthe ar 'angement of the.

apparatus in the station and the structural details of the disconnecting switch may be changed Without departing from the spirit of my invention and I desire that only such `limitations shall be imposed as are indicated 'in the appended claims.

` stationary contact terminal.

2. .t disconnecting switch comprising a horizontally disposed insulating bushing eX- i tending through a -veiticalwalll or plate and supported thereby near its 'iniddleipoinu a stationary Contact terminal secured to one end ofthe bushing, a line conductor extend ing through the bushing and connected to the contact terminal, a lever hinge-connected to the'vei'tical ivall or plate above the bush ing, a movable contact terminal freely sus pended from the outer end of the lever di reetly above the stationary contacty terminal and adapted to move vertically into and out of engagement therewith, said movable con-- tact terminal lbeing electrically' separated from the end of the arm by `means of a suspension insulator.

A disconnecting switch comprising a stationary Contact member, a lever pivotally supported above 4said member, a coperating movable contact terminal freely suspended from the outer end of the lever and an in tei'posed insulating structure comprising a series of insulators one above another, connected by link connections,

ln testimonyl \vhereof,-I have' hereunto subscribed my name this -27th day of Oc-v 

